Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and top aides thrashed out his survival prospects on Friday as the opposition upped pressure for presidential poll results to be declared after its parliamentary victory. The Movement for Democratic Change has lodged a court application demanding an end to the silence over the outcome of March 29’s presidential ballot.
Zimbabweans go to the polls on Saturday hoping for an end to a chronic economic crisis that has condemned millions to grinding poverty and prompted the exodus of up to a third of the population. The joint presidential, legislative and local council polls come at a time when the country’s inflation rate has breached the 100 000% mark.
Reviving Zimbabwe’s moribund economy would require inflation-battered citizens to swallow the bitter pill of reduced state spending and higher interest rates to attract foreign cash, analysts say. The ousting of veteran President Robert Mugabe is essential to pave the way for reforms to put the country back on track, they believe.
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/ 13 February 2008
Zimbabwe’s former finance minister, Simba Makoni, pledged on Wednesday to heal the Southern African country’s wounds as he unveiled his strategy to end President Robert Mugabe’s 28-year rule in polls next month. He expressed confidence of toppling Mugabe after accusing him of engendering fear and despair.
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/ 1 February 2008
The alleged British mastermind of a foiled coup in Equatorial Guinea has been deported from Zimbabwe to Malabo, even though he was still appealing against his extradition, his lawyer said on Friday. Jonathan Samkange said he had only learned that Simon Mann had already been flown out of Harare on Friday morning.
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/ 23 January 2008
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai accused President Robert Mugabe of running a dictatorship on Wednesday after he was briefly detained by police and needed court approval to address supporters. He told supporters his detention in the early hours by police who picked him up while he was sleeping was a bad omen for elections due in March.
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/ 23 January 2008
Zimbabwe’s main opposition party was given permission on Wednesday to stage a protest rally against President Robert Mugabe after its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was briefly detained by police. Police had slapped a blanket prohibition on the protest called by the Movement for Democratic (MDC) as a show of strength.
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/ 13 January 2008
Kennedy Tsambo’s faith in Zimbabwe’s banking system finally hit breaking point over Christmas when he spent an ultimately fruitless three days queuing to withdraw cash in order to buy a bus fare home. ”This was not a donation that I was queuing for, it’s my own money which I should be able to withdraw as and when I like,” said the 37-year-old.
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/ 13 December 2007
Zimbabwe’s veteran President Robert Mugabe, accused of allowing attacks on his political opponents, appealed on Thursday to his supporters not to engage in violence in next year’s elections. In a keynote address at his Zanu-PF conference in the capital, Harare, he also urged the party to remain united in the countdown to elections.
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/ 9 December 2007
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party will on Tuesday begin an extraordinary congress and President Robert Mugabe is expected to be endorsed as its sole presidential flagbearer in next year’s poll, party officials said. The four-day congress is also expected to draw a roadmap for Zimbabwe’s political and economical policies.